Election 2024: Mian Iftikhar, Dr Imran Khattak In Loggerhead On PK-89 Nowshera

Awami National Party (ANP) General Secretary and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister, Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP) leader and former member national assembly, Dr Imran Khattak are in a faceoff on PK 89 Nowshera during general election 2024

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jan, 2024) Awami National Party (ANP) General Secretary and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister, Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP) leader and former member national assembly, Dr Imran Khattak are in a faceoff on PK 89 Nowshera during general election 2024.

Political observers believed that a tough electoral battle is expected between the two stalwarts in their home constituency where the literacy rate was high compared to other Constituencies of the Nowshera district.

In 2008 General Election, PK 89 was won comfortably by Mian Iftikhar Hussain, and he was awarded the important portfolio of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister.

However, in the 2013 and 2018 general elections, this constituency was clinched by former Chief Minister and PTIP President Pervez Khattak and his brother Liaquat Khattak respectively.

Later, Liaquat Khattak resigned from PTI and joined JUIF.

PK-89 consists of Pabbi, Mohib Banda, Amankot, Pashtunghari, Khudarzai, Korvi and others areas where mostly people are associated with Government jobs, agriculture and business.

The candidates of all mainstream political parties blew up horns for two national and five provincial assembly seats in the politically fertile Nowshera district.

On NA-33 Nowshera-1, Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf Parliamentarian (PTI) Chairman and former Chief Minister Khyber Pakthunkhwa, Pervez Khan Khattak, Pakistan Muslim League-N Khyber Pakthunkhwa Information Secretary and former member provincial assembly, Ikhtair Wali Khan, Awami National Party’s Khan Pervez, Barrister Sarwar and Mustafa Anwar of Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf and Ijazul Haq of Jamiat Ulema Islam-F are trying their luck in election 2024.

Interestingly, all family members of PTIP Chief, Pervez Khattak including his son-in-law Dr Imran Khattak and his sons were contesting election from all the national and provincial assemblies’ seats from Nowshera.

Pervez Khattak has filed nomination papers for NA-33, PK-87 and PK-88 while nomination papers of his nephew and son-in-law Dr Imran Khattak were accepted for NA-34 and PK-89 respectively.

Pervez Khattak’s sons Ibrahim Khattak and Ismail Khattak submitted nomination papers for PK-85 and PK-86, respectively.

PMLN’s Ikhtiyar Wali filed nomination papers for NA-33 and PK-88.

Awami National Party’s Khan Pervez, Barrister Sarwar Khan and Mustafa Anwar of PTI, Fayyazur Rahman of PMLN, Mufti Shakatullah and Ijazul Haq of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and independents are eying on NA-33 Nowshera-I.

Major-Gen (r) Saad Khattak of Aam Admi Party, Mian Babar Shah of ANP, Mian Khaliqur Rahman, Haji Akbar, Daud Khattak of PTI, Shaiq Amin of Tehreek-e-Labbaik, Hamza Pervez of PMLN, Alhaj Pervez Khan of JUIF, Idrees Khattak of PPP and others filed papers are in faceoff on NA-34 Nowshera-II and others provincial constituencies.

NA-33 Nowshera-I was previously won by PTI’s Siraj Muhammad Khan in 2013 general election after securing 54,266 votes against Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah of PMLN’s with 34,537 votes while in 2018 general election this constituency was clinched by Pervez Khattak who contested on PTI ticket with 82,118 votes against Khan Pervez of PPP with 35,658 votes.

Pervez Khattak had emerged victorious from NA-34 Nowshera-II on the ticket of PTI in 2013 general election after securing 70,053 votes against runnerup Daud Khan Khattak of ANP with 21,493 votes.

Later, Pervez Khattak had resigned from NA-34 and retained NA-33 Nowshera-I. Later, his son-in-law Dr Imran Khattak won NA-34 in by-election after securing 48,043 votes against Daud Khattak of ANP’s with 27,569 votes.

In the 2018 General Election, this constituency was again won by Dr. Imran Khattak who contested on PTI’s ticket after securing 90,256 votes against Jamal Khattak of ANP’s with 47,132 votes. The total registered voters in NA-34-Nowshera-II are 377,306.

NA-33-Nowshera-I constituencies comprises on Akora Khattak, Jaghangira, Pirsabaq, Risalpur, Nowshera Kalan, Nizampur, Manki Sharif, Misri Banda, Mera Akora Khattak, Adamzai and Inzari where literacy ratio is relatively higher compared to NA-34 Nowshara-II with key areas of Pabbi, Akbarpura, Charat, Amankot, Mohib Banda, Khesgi Payan, Saleh Khana and Shah Kot.

Politcal observers said that candidates that achieve support of young voters and strong communities would get an edge over others on February 8, 2024.

APP/fam/1955